How to Become an Idealliance® G7™ Master Printer

Posted November 24, 2015 by Mark Gundlach

X-Rite recently donatedcolor management solutions from our i1 Family to Idealliance® for use at its partner laboratories at Cal Poly University and the Rochester Institute of Technologies. The universities are leveraging i1 calibration and ICC profiling solutions, including the new i1iSis 2, as part of Idealliance’s G7™ Master and G7 Process Control Master Qualification programs.

G7™ is a proof-to-print process control method that allows you to reliably and efficiently match the visual appearance of the output from multiple printing devices. It works by defining the gray balance and NPDC curves in conjunction with the traditional method of measuring tonal value increase (TVI/dot gain) for each color. G7 can be applied to any type of printing, regardless of the type of ink or printing method, including electrostatic, inkjet, offset sheetfed, offset web, and flexo.

It’s important to note that G7 is a process, not a standard. However, G7 qualification can help you achieve repeatable, consistent control over your production process by ensuring that your process colors are neutral and balanced, improving gray balance, and stabilizing color.

The G7™ Master Printer program is managed by Idealliance®, a not-for-profit association of leading print and electronic media service providers and their technology partners. Idealliance offers G7 Master Qualification to printers who can prove they’re capable of performing to G7 specifications. Qualification must be done by a certified G7 Expert.

Customers are looking for G7 Master Printers. Today we’ll look at how X-Rite’s Certified G7 Color Experts can help you achieve G7 compliance to stay competitive in the market.

Benefits of G7™ Master Qualification

X-Rite’s training program for the Idealliance G7 Master Printer Program will teach you how to use and apply process control procedures and industry standards, such as GRACol® and SWOP, from start to finish. Press operators will learn how to use instruments and new target values to maintain the process on the press, and prepress operators will learn how to build correction curves for the plate setter, and calibrate and build ICC profiles for proofing systems.

Everyone involved in the workflow will begin to notice little things they wouldn’t normally see in daily production, such as a slight drift in press or proofer color, or changes in dot gain, ink color or trap. Prepress and press operators will be able to work together, correct issues before they cause a problem, and save time and money on makeready.

G7 Master Training Agenda

A certified X-Rite G7 Certified Expert will come to your site and help you update your workflow to G7 compliance, then train you on how to achieve and maintain control and consistency in each and every print run. G7 training and qualification takes about three days and is customized to your specific scenario and workflow.

Reinforce the Foundations. G7 builds upon foundations in colorimetric press measurement of solid ink L*a*b* values, gray balance and tone-value-increase (TVI/dot-gain). After ensuring that everyone is familiar with the concepts, it’s time to incorporate the G7 method of color measurement to achieve ideal gray balance on press. The program also supports new industry standards in lighting and measurement, including M0 and M1, and delta E 2000. After training, your press operators will be able to easily incorporate this new approach to build press calibration curves.

Set Up a G7 Workflow. Your X-Rite G7 Certified Expert will perform an audit of your press conditions, color measurement equipment, and process control procedures, then advise you on changes that will help to prepare for the balance of the training. This assures that you have the right conditions and proper set up to perform a successful training and qualification.

Incorporate Standards. Next, your team will learn how to achieve and maintain print standards, such as GRACoL or SWOP, on your presses. Your X-Rite G7 Certified Expert will work with you to calibrate and verify your press(es) using the G7 methodology with instruction on how to create calibration curves for your workflows. This training will also show you how to calibrate and profile your proofing system to conform to the same print conditions you’re using for your press, so each proof is a valid and achievable target for your press operators.

Collect G7 Data. You must collect data showing that your press conforms to any of the specified G7 datasets, such as GRACoL, SWOP, the seven G7 datasets contained in CGATS 21/ISO PAS 15339, or a custom print condition.

Earn G7 Qualification. After everything is in place, your X-Rite G7 Certified Expert will help you submit your application and your G7 data to Idealliance to request your G7 Master Printer Qualification. He or she will also submit an affidavit testifying to your understanding of basic G7 knowledge and processes.

Are you ready to join the elite group of proof and print service providers who have successfully proven capable of providing the highest quality color printing? Visit our websiteto learn more about how X-Rite can help you become a G7 Master Printer.